Pa. high court upholds redrawn legislative map

HARRISBURG — The state Supreme Court is upholding a revised plan to redraw the boundaries of Pennsylvania’s legislative districts, ruling that a panel’s new plan is constitutional.

The court’s unanimous ruling Wednesday came after it initially rejected a map drawn by a five-member commission of top lawmakers and a former judge.

The map (viewable here) will take effect for Pennsylvania’s 203 House districts and 50 Senate districts in next year’s election.

The court rejected the Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s original plan in January 2012, agreeing with citizen challengers that political considerations had unduly split municipalities and produced strangely shaped districts.